


Careful! Cactus nearby.

by tinypeckers



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen, RT Baby AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-18 06:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1418776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypeckers/pseuds/tinypeckers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt:  Write a fanfic based on your experiences, or something that happened within your family/group of friends, but use appropriate RT people. (Or the one based off the time I refused to walk and my dad accidentally got too close to a cactus and I suffered for it.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Careful! Cactus nearby.

It had been a nice idea, in theory. Jack had heard about this new adventure park that had just opened up on the outskirts of town. It was dinosaur themed and, according to the flyer, featured over 50 animatronic dinosaurs. Geoff thought it was a cool idea and, when he proposed the prospect of visiting such a place to them, the lads were excited. Ryan was nonchalant about the whole thing but, before he could beg Jack to stay home, was told that he had to join them for some much needed sunlight. He rolled his eyes when the day came around, folding his arms and refusing to help as he looked longingly in the direction of the laptop. Geoff caught him staring, ruffling his hair and laughing.  
"Don't worry, it'll still be there when you get back." Geoff promised, hoisting the backpack that carried all of the emergency supplies onto his shoulders. He checked his watch, calling to Jack and the lads.  
"C'mon, we've got to get going." He yelled into the empty hall. Though that didn't last long.

  
Geoff smiled at the sound of tiny feet hitting the floor, listening to them hurry until eventually all but one of the lads appeared huffing and panting in the hallway.  
"Quick, Ray! We gots to see the ninonaurs!" Gavin cried out excitedly, urging the other boy along. Ray appeared not a moment later, Jack behind him with a big grin spread across his face. Ryan, who'd remained stoic, frowned at Gavin's choice of words.  
"What did you just say?" He questioned, looking at Gavin. The younger boy frowned.  
"We gots to see the ninonaurs?" Gavin repeated, the pitch of his voice higher at the end as though he was asking Ryan a question. Ryan sighed.  
"Dinosaurs." Ryan corrected, shaking his head.  
"Yeah, ninonaurs." Gavin repeated with a goofy smile. Jack laughed, Geoff patting Ryan's shoulder to silently tell him to stop trying. Gavin would get it eventually.  
"Well, what we doin'? I want to see the dinos!" Michael huffed impatiently, backed up by a cheer from Ray.  
"Okay, c'mon then. Let's go see the ninonaurs." Geoff said, winking at Ryan when he groaned.

  
The day had started out great, excellent even. The lads had been settled into the car with little complaints, all much too excited to whine about how the seatbelt 'hurt' like they usually did. Ryan didn't groan as much as Jack and Geoff had expected, content to pass the drive playing eye-spy with Ray despite his sour mood.  
"I spy with my little eye something beginning with... T." Ryan said, looking to Ray as the younger lad pushed up from his car seat to stare out the window.  
"Um... clue?" He asked after a couple of minutes. Ryan thought about it for a moment.  
"Its mostly green." He said with a nod, as though to confirm his own description.  
"Is it a tiger?" Cried Gavin from his own seat, not officially playing the game but occassionally offering his opinion. Ryan scoffed.  
"No, its not a tiger and its Ray's turn to guess. Sh." Ryan scolded playfully, waiting patiently for Ray.  
"Tree!" Ray cried out triumphantly as they passed one, grinning up at Ryan.  
"Correct, you're too smart." Ryan huffed, folding his arms and waiting for Ray to give him something to guess.  
"I eye-spy something starts with B." Ray said, not quite being able to say the rhyme. Ryan pondered it.

  
He spent the rest of the drive guessing it too.  
"Is it a bear?" He asked, exasperated as he helped his younger brother out of the car when they'd arrived. Jack was laughing at his misfortune, having witnessed Ryan grow more and more frustrated as he guessed. Ray, as smug as ever, shook his head with a grin.  
"No. Give up?" He teased, swinging Ryan's hand when Geoff insisted they held hands so that nobody got lost. He was currently trying to keep Gavin in place while trying to get Michael out of the car. Jack came to his aid, scooping Gavin up and pretending he was a bird as he made the toddler 'fly.' Ryan's shoulders slumped as he admitted defeat.  
"All right, I give up. What is it?" He asked, needing to know the answer.  
"Beard!" Ray said excitedly, pointing to Jack as Ryan fumed.  
"Of course." The older boy said bitterly, scowling as Jack laughed.  
"All right, are you ready to go and see the ninonaurs?" Geoff asked. He was met with a chorus of cheers and one groan from Ryan.  
"Dinosaurs." The older lad muttered under his breath.

  
"C'mon then." Geoff said. He was holding onto Michael's hand, while Jack held Gavin's and Ryan, of course, held Ray's. But when they started to walk, Geoff found that something was holding him back. He turned to look at Michael, who was frowning up at him.  
"What's up buddy? We're going to see the ninonaurs!" Geoff reminded him. Michael tugged his hand free and reached out for Geoff.  
"Carry me." He insisted, pouting up at Geoff. Geoff frowned.  
"You've got legs, lad. You can walk." Geoff told him, reaching for Michael's hand and sighing when Michael tore it away from him.  
"Carry me." He said pitifully as Geoff looked to Jack for help.  
"Michael, Ray and Gavin are walking. Only babies get carried." Jack tried and only managed to make Michael scowl further.  
"I'm not a baby." He huffed, though still refused to grab Geoff's hand.  
"Babies get carried." Geoff reiterated, wanting nothing more than to be inside the park already.

  
Michael turned and stormed away from him, standing in front of the car door and folding his arms in a cross manner as he scowled.  
"Go home." Michael stated. Ryan chewed his lip as he tried not to snicker when Geoff huffed in frustration.  
"You don't want to see the dinosaurs?" Jack asked, walking over to Michael with Gavin in tow. Gavin's face brightened at the mention of the extinct creatures.  
"Yeah, Michael. Ninonaurs!" He said gleefully, tearing his hand away from Jack's to pretend to be one of his favourite creatures. Michael only shook his head as Gavin roared.  
"Want Geoff to carry me." Michael reiterated, looking up at Jack and pleading with his big, brown eyes. Jack relented, as he often did, turning to Geoff as he took Gavin's hand again.  
"Just carry him, Geoff. The other lads are going to get restless in a minute." Jack explained, looking to Ryan and Ray as the toddler tried to drag Ryan into the park.

  
Michael grinned, dimples and all, as Geoff carried him in. He kicked his little legs, waving down at Gavin as the other lad toddled beside them. Gavin beamed back at him, Ray having ran far ahead with Ryan in tow. Jack was trying to call them back, to no avail, and Ray could be heard pointing out every dinosaur inside the place. Michael was amazed by the creatures, mouth hanging agape every time one of them moved or roared. Gavin was having less of a fun time, jumping at each loud sound and whimpering behind Jack's leg. The bearded man was trying not laugh, soothing Gavin by ruffling his hair. Geoff was grumbling and at each new attraction he tried, and failed, to get Michael to walk.  
"C'mon, buddy. Look - Ray's having fun!" He pointed out and the toddler turned and waved at the sound of his name. Ryan, his partner, did not look to be having as much fun. He looked just as tired as Geoff felt, his arm was sore and he wanted nothing more than to be at home with his laptop. Every time he relaxed, Ray only pulled him further.  
"No." Michael replied stubbornly, gripping tighter onto Geoff's t-shirt to prove a point.

  
Eventually, Geoff grew tired of playing Michael's game. They entered a large room that was made to look like a swamp, a wooden bridge helping the visitors to cross it. In the water were various dinosaur animatronics that caught the attention of all the lads. Geoff tried to put Michael down when he insisted they get closer to see a certain dinosaur. Michael kicked up a fuss immediately, refusing to stand and screaming much to the embarassment of Geoff and Jack.  
"C'mon, just for a minute. My arms are tired." Geoff pleaded, letting his head loll back in annoyance when Michael refused to put his feet under himself.  
"No." Michael huffed, scowling. Ray, seeing the commotion and wanting to help, rushed over to the pair with Ryan stumbling behind him.  
"Hold my hand?" Ray suggested, stretching his arm out and offering his hand for Michael to take. Geoff smiled down at him.  
"Yeah, Michael. Why don't you walk with Ray and Ryan?" Geoff asked.  
"Don't want to." Michael refused, making Ray pout and walk away huffing.

  
Geoff relented, eventually. Walking rigidly up to the dinosaur that had caught Michael's attention in the first place. In his anger, he didn't take in much of his surroundings and was oblivious to the cactus that was dangerously close to the railing when he came to a stop. Geoff didn't stay oblivious for long, jumping at the sound of Michael's wail. He stared in shock at the boy who was now crying, unsure of what was wrong. It was Jack who noticed, cursing and running over to them both while Gavin protested and tried to go back to where they'd been looking.  
"Shit, Geoff. His back." Jack explained when Geoff stared at him incredulously. Geoff peered over Michael's shoulder to see the commotion, spying the cactus needles and finally putting two and two together.  
"Fuck, fuck. We've got to get a first aid kit." Geoff said through gritted teeth, already rushing towards the exit as Michael whimpered. Jack called to Ryan and Ray, beckoning them over and following Geoff.

  
Michael sat on the receptionist's desk, tiny fingers curling around Geoff's much larger ones as he winced. The kind lady who'd greeted them was gently easing the needles out with tweezers, soothing Michael as she did so.  
"You're being so brave." She commented, surprised by Michael's lack of noise. He only sniffled, looking up at Geoff with tears in his eyes. Jack, Ryan, Gavin and Ray looked on with worried expression - all previous thoughts about wanting to see more of the park lost.  
"Almost done." The lady commented, Geoff nodded to her as he ran his thumb over the palm of Michael's hand.  
"Its going to be okay, buddy." He reassured the toddler. Geoff felt terrible, he knew he should have been more careful and felt extremly guilty that he'd let such a thing happen to Michael. Geoff sighed in relief when the lady finally threw away the paper towel she'd been depositing the needles from, reaching into the first aid kit for something to cleanse the irritated skin on Michael's back.  
"Right, we're going to have to take this off for a second," the lady told them as she pulled at the hem of Michael's shirt, "and then you're okay to go." She explained and Michael helpfully put his little arms in the air to make the removal of the shirt easier.

  
Geoff was thankful that Jack was always prepared, having packed spare clothes for the lads in case of spillage. As the lady removed Michael's shirt, Jack handed Geoff a new one for when Michael was done. Michael cried a little as the disinfectant was applied, the sting a little much for the poor kid. When the kind lady gave Michael the okay, Geoff pulled him off the counter and into a gentle hug. He kissed the top of Michael's curls as the toddler rubbed his face into Geoff's shirt.  
"I think we're done for the day, huh buddy?" Geoff asked softly. Michael nodded, too sullen to use his words. Jack smiled, glancing down at the other boys who had been waiting so patiently for their brother.  
"So, who wants to go to the gift shop?" He suggested. They all cheered, minus Ryan who seriously just wanted to go home. Michael pulled away from Geoff, blinking wearily up at him. Geoff smiled at the little lad.  
"Do you want to get a toy?" Geoff asked softly, assuming Michael just wanted to go back to the car. Of course, he assumed wrong and Michael nodded enthusiastically.

  
Turns out not only did Michael want a toy but he wanted one of the biggest stuffed animals in the entire shop. Geoff tried to surpress the fact that he'd caved immediately, shaking his head as the kid tried to walk with the oversized dinosaur. If Gavin and Ray wanted the same thing, just a different dinosaur, who was Geoff to deny them? While Jack rolled his eyes and mentally counted the money they'd just spent, he tried to convince Ryan to get himself something as well. The older boy ended up with a keyring, grabbing it to stop Jack's nagging and because it changed pictures depending on what angle you looked at it. It was a hassle getting into the minivan they called a car after that. Ryan sat right at the back, playing with his keyring, with Ray and his oversized dinosaur beside him. Gavin and Michael took up the middle, their dinosaurs roaring at each other every couple of minutes. Jack sat in the drivers seat and Geoff sat in the passenger seat, manning the backpack in case any of the kids needed emergency supplies. Though the constant dinosaur impressions quickly grew annoying, Geoff didn't dare tell the boys to quiten down. Geoff had dealt with enough tears for one day.


End file.
